The present invention relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly to disposable diapers.
In recent years disposable diapers have come into widespread use. Such diapers are normally constructed from an absorbent pad, a fluid impervious backing sheet covering a back surface of the pad, and a fluid pervious top sheet covering a front surface of the pad. The diapers have also been provided with pressure-sensitive tape strips for convenience in placing the diapers on infants. Generally, such tape strips have a first end attached to the backing sheet, and a second securement end which is initially covered by a release sheet and which is fastened to a part of the diaper during placement on the infant.
Since such diapers are discarded after a single use, it is most desirable to make the diapers of economic construction. Accordingly, the backing sheets may be made of a relatively thin plastic material, such as polyethylene having a thickness of approximately 1 mil, in order to reduce its cost, while the thin backing sheets also provide a desirable soft and flexible back surface for the diaper. However, such thin backing sheets do not have high strength characteristics, and when forces are applied against the tape strips, the thin backing sheet can stretch to its yield point, and tear. Thus, the first attached end of the tape strips frequently becomes torn from the backing sheet during placement or use of the diaper. Once the tape strip has been severed from the diaper the diaper may prove worthless, since the torn portion of the backing sheet strongly adheres to the tape strip, and the tape strip cannot normally be repositioned on the diaper.